I just did a brake job using Hawk HPS pads and I'm not happy with their CF level. I took them off and went back to the worn OEM pads.

I don't understand it, I thought the HPS pads were supposed to be pretty good. Maybe I'll try the HP+ pads next, or maybe some new OEMs... or better yet a Wilwood BBK.

When I went out yesterday to bed in the HPS pads I was shocked by the lack of friction. I went through the entire process and they still wouldn't stop for crap. I went back home and checked everything over, but it all looked good. I even sprayed them down with brake cleaner this morning just to be sure there wasn't any grease in there, even though I was extra careful during assembly. After another test ride... still crap brakes. I need some new front pads pretty now so I need to make a decision quick.

Is anyone running the Hawk HP Plus pads on the street? I'm mainly concerned with the noise level. I don't want to be running around town with them squealing like full-on race brakes. I'm not as much concerned with the dust level. I assume it will subside like the OEM pads did. I know there are other brands out there (carbotech, porterfield...) but I haven't really done the research on them, except that everyone using them swears they're great, much the way the HPS users do... I just want something as good or better than OEM.

 

Might want to try the Carbotech Bobcats, little to no noise and much less dust then OEM and better stopping power then OEM. I must say that you may have brake modulation with the Hawks and you will have it with the Bobcats and that new BM does need a learning curve when coming off the on/off nature of OEM pads. Hope that helps.

 

You won't be disappointed with stopping power of the HP+ pads, they stop the car really well, but they do make a lot of noise. I ran them last year as my track/autox only pad and switched back to ceramics for day to day driving.

I don't have any first hand experience, but I've heard good things about carbotech's performance street pad as far as minimal noise/dust and good stopping power.

Jason

 

BTW, I didn't mention it above but I'm using new rotors...

 

Did you clean all the oil/grease off the new rotors before you installed them?

Jason

 

hmm. i currently have the hawk ceramics in my car which to me bite just as good as stock and currently considering getting front and rear HPS to replace them.

let us know what happens as i'm curious to know why it seems the OEM pads bite better than the HPS

 

Any word on the dust from the HP+ being very corrosive when it comes in contact with water?

 

OEM pads have worked for me thus far and I brake the car pretty hard in the mountains. Perhaps some SS lines would help your braking response?

 

I've got Hawk HP Plus' on my front and I've never had any issues like that at all.

You might want to clean off the rotors just in case they have a layer of preservative or something on them that might be preventing the pads from biting. Certainly cheaper than buying more pads .

 

I have a set of HP+ on the front of an R56 MCS. I use them for track days. I've run them twice with good results. The first track I ran was on a long track with some areas where brakes have a chance to cool. They wore very little, I experienced no fade, and the rotors looked the same when I put the stock pads back on for street use. The second track is short with a lot of turns that require hard or very hard breaking and short straights so the brakes don't have a chance to cool. At this track the pads again wore only a little. It was also hot at close to 100 degrees. I had a little fade at the pad - no softness in the pedal - just reduced friction. If I eased up a lap they came right back. I ran about 120 miles on the track that day. The rotors have some light groves and some deposits on them which I think the stock pads will clean off over time. Regardless, the brakes still grip fine. The rear rotors also have some lighter grooving from the stock pads. I think that if I had been running R tires or slicks I would have taken these pads above their heat range and encountered fade. I've only run these pads for short times on the street. They are less dusty than stock, they are noisy sometimes, but not bad enough that I would rule them out on that basis. I would, however, rule them out for street use since they don't bite as well when cold as stock pads and this would be worse in cold weather. Truthfully I'd can't see any use for them on the street unless you are planning on a long run from the police! My 2 cents worth.

 

Thanks for all the advice to those replied to my OP.

Anyway, I thought I'd post a status update...

Well I ended up putting the worn (front anyway) pads back in and they worked fine all week. Just for CYA purposes I ordered some OEMish pads from eBay on the cheap and they came in today. I just got them on and went for a ride around the block. They worked just like the factory pads , so I guess I'll try the HPS pads again to see if the weeks driving on the new rotors helped.

I also want to give AutoXCooper.com a big thanks for all of the offline advice and comments.

 

hum... front pad change in < 25 minutes. Now for the test drive...

Okay, that went well . Now for rears.

 

Okay, it's done. The rear HPS pads are in and the test drive went well .

There must have been a coating on the rotors that only the OEM pads could scrub off .

 

Must've been the case.
I've had really good experience with HPS. They do work better when warm though.